Burgundy Premier Crus

The Burgundy Wine's newsletter had an interesting article about a guy who is tasting through all of the Premier Crus in Burgundy. Geri Tashjian writes:

"I'm always fascinated by individual wine journeys, but this man's trip was unlike any I've ever encountered. He is tasting his way through every premier cru in Burgundy! Not just those in the Cote d'Or, but every premier cru from Chablis down to, and through, the Cote Chalonnaise. Wow! Now that's not just a trip - that's an adventure.

"I was so intrigued by his mission, I did a quick count of premier crus. I came up with 617. I did this over my morning coffee (pencil in hand) so forgive me if I blurred during the count - but I'm sure I'm very close. Just for fun - guess which appellation has the least - and the most - premier crus. I have included a full listing at the conclusion of this newsletter."

PREMIER CRU COUNT

My premier cru vineyard count.

Chablis - 42

Fixin - 6

Gevrey-Chambertin 26

Morey-St-Denis 20

Chambolle-Musigny 23

Vougeot 4

Vosne-Romanee 15 (includes 3 from Echezeaux)

Nuits-St-Georges 42

Ladoix 7

Pernand-Vergelesses 5

Aloxe-Corton 14

Savigny-les-Beaune 21

Beaune 39

Pommard 28

Volnay 33

Monthelie 10

Auxey-Duresses 9

Meursault 16

Blagny 7

Puligny-Montrachet 17

Chassagne-Montrachet 19

Saint Aubin 16

Santenay 12

Maranges 9

Rully 22

Mercurey 29

Givry 16

Montagny 53

Pouilly Fuisse 57

I can't find a link to the newsletter, but Burgundy Wine's home page is http://www.wineaccess.com/store/Burgundy/index.html

Regards, Bob

And just for kicks....can you recall which of the village/communes in the Cote d'Or didn't have ANY Premier Crus???

Just limited to the Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune, mind you.

Doesn't Aloxe-Corton have only Grand Cru?

Marsannay?
For a second I thought Corton, then realized the commune is Aloxe Corton
I love Chambolle, but probably couldn't name more than 5 or 6

[David M. Bueker]

Aloxe-Corton has 14 1er crus AKAIK:

Les Valozières
Les Paulands
Les Maréchaudes
Les Chaillots
Les Fournières
Clos du Chapître
Les Guérets
Les Vercots
Clos des Maréchaudes
La Maréchaude
Les Petites Lolières
Les Moutottes
La Coutière
La Toppe au Vert

Doesn't Aloxe-Corton have only Grand Cru?

several Aloxe-C 1ers , though I'm surprised to see 14. Corton side is all GC.

Aloxe-Corton has 14 1er crus AKAIK:

Les Valozières
Les Paulands
Les Maréchaudes
Les Chaillots
Les Fournières
Clos du Chapître
Les Guérets
Les Vercots
Clos des Maréchaudes
La Maréchaude
Les Petites Lolières
Les Moutottes
La Coutière
La Toppe au Vert

And I'm sure you pulled those right out of your capacious memory.

Just so you know where I'm coming from, Hoke, I couldn't think of a single one.

Boy, it really has been a long time.

Best, Bob

Aloxe-Corton has 14 1er crus AKAIK:

Les Valozières
Les Paulands
Les Maréchaudes
Les Chaillots
Les Fournières
Clos du Chapître
Les Guérets
Les Vercots
Clos des Maréchaudes
La Maréchaude
Les Petites Lolières
Les Moutottes
La Coutière
La Toppe au Vert

And I'm sure you pulled those right out of your capacious memory.

He most likely did! I am astounded every day by what folks on this forum know.

St. Romain?

[David M. Bueker]

Honestly - I just know where to find the AOC information. Post concussion I can only remember the 1st growths of Bordeaux and the grand crus of Gevrey.

i don't think Chorey has a 1er cru

Dale, Chaim, and David have already named them.

Marsannay, St. Romain, and Chorey have no Premier Cru vineyards.

And Bob? The one and only reason that I knew this now is I just finished an enormous project of rewriting the teaching modules for the French Wine Society---and part of that was re-forming the way the Grand Cru, Premier Cru and commune AOCs were presented.

The lack of Premier Crus in these places (and the subsequent lack of Grand Crus in some places, such as Saint-Aubin, for instance) lies primarily with the location and soil.

St. Romain, for instance, is set back fro the major slope and is contained in a smallery valley, so there is more soil than rock. Its really not at all like the rest of the Cote d'Or.

Similar situations, although not quite as dramatic, exist in the Auxey-Duresses and the Savigny-les-Beaune---primarily changes in direction of slope there. Same in Saint-Aubin, but it's tucked away between Chassagne and Puligny, following the road (once a waterway) up into the Haute Cotes with the vineyards twisting this way and that on both sides of the road---some on the flat, some on either slope, with slopes facing in all sorts of direction. So.....several Premier Crus, but never a Grand Cru.

[David M. Bueker]

Nuits ended up with no GC due to political issues. Of course they ended up with a ton of 1er Cru.

While obviously location (both elevation and exposure) and soil are a large part of the equation, as David notes there are plenty of other factors in play. Pommard and Volnay have no GCs, but does any burghead really think that Rugiens, Epenots/Epeneaux, or Caillerets are lesser locations than most of Corton, or that NSG Les St George is lesser terroir to Mazoyeres-Chambertin, Chapelle Chambertin, or at least half of Clos de Vougeot?

[David M. Bueker]

And as brought up in another thread a while ago, Les St. Georges is going through the process for upgrade to Grand Cru. No doubt it will take forever to get done, but it is happening.

Comblanchien doesn't have any Premiers Crus.

-Paul W.

Chomblachien is not a named village, but, IFNM one of the Cote-de-Nuits-Village?

Hoke's original question was what villages/communes in the Cote d'Or don't have any premiers crus. Comblanchien is a commune and it's definitely in the Cote d'Or. And it certainly doesn't have any premiers crus. And as you pointed out, it doesn't even have its own village AOC. Most of the hillside there seems to be a big limestone quarry.

-Paul W.

You are certainly correct. I did not think that post went through or I would have edited it out.

While obviously location (both elevation and exposure) and soil are a large part of the equation, as David notes there are plenty of other factors in play. Pommard and Volnay have no GCs, but does any burghead really think that Rugiens, Epenots/Epeneaux, or Caillerets are lesser locations than most of Corton, or that NSG Les St George is lesser terroir to Mazoyeres-Chambertin, Chapelle Chambertin, or at least half of Clos de Vougeot?

Or that Chambolle-Amoureuses is lesser terroir than Echezeaux?

Mark Lipton

[David M. Bueker]

While obviously location (both elevation and exposure) and soil are a large part of the equation, as David notes there are plenty of other factors in play. Pommard and Volnay have no GCs, but does any burghead really think that Rugiens, Epenots/Epeneaux, or Caillerets are lesser locations than most of Corton, or that NSG Les St George is lesser terroir to Mazoyeres-Chambertin, Chapelle Chambertin, or at least half of Clos de Vougeot?

Or that Chambolle-Amoureuses is lesser terroir than Echezeaux?

Depends on what part of Echezeaux you are talking about (but you knew that). One of the worst things that groups like INAO and the authors of the 1971 German Wine Law (to name the two worst offenders) have done is to expand the boundaries of top sites, thus watering down the quality level. There are parts of Echezeaux that make fabulous wine that are fully deserving of Grand Cru status and beat the pants off most of the wine from Amoreuses (to my palate - but then I also don't like the style of many notable producers of Amoreuses).

just yesterday i attended a tasting in chicago put on by the Burgundy Wine Board(bivb). their handouts claim 33 grands cru and 684 premier cru. they are including chablis, challonais and macconais.

just yesterday i attended a tasting in chicago put on by the Burgundy Wine Board(bivb). their handouts claim 33 grands cru and 684 premier cru. they are including chablis, challonais and macconais.

The Maconnais struck me - I never recall seeing a Macon 1er. I just looked at Bob's list (well, Burgundy Wine Company's)- there are 57 1ers in Pouilly-Fuisse? I'd guess conservatively that over 28 years I've drunk 200 bottles of Pouilly Fuisse, at least as many Macon-Villages (and individual village Macons), and I never recall seeing a 1er designation. Can someone fill me in?